[VIDEO] Watch the 2024 Corvette E-Ray Presentation with Team Corvette from Carlisle

We just wrapped up another fabulous weekend in Pennsylvania at the Corvettes at Carlisle show and we have to say that this was one of the best ever. Yes, there was a little rain which gave way to clear blue skies and very hot afternoons, but it was totally worth it to witness the record attendance and see the new 2024 Corvette E-Ray featured by Team Corvette.

Members of the engineering team were on hand to answer our questions all about the new performance hybrid sports car, and twice during the weekend they held a presentation at the Carlisle Fairgrounds grandstands to present the new sports car and answer questions. Presenting this year was Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter, vehicle Chief Engineer Josh Holder, and Corvette Product Manager Harlan Charles.

The team calls the new E-Ray the Swiss Army Knife of Corvettes that can do just about anything with the first ever All-Wheel-Drive system for America’s Favorite Sports Car. Tadge explained they always wanted to do an AWD Corvette, but it was impossible with the front mounted engines found in previous generations. Tadge says they explored both traditional methods of running a driveshaft and powering AWD from the engine, but the electrified motor driven system offered much more capability. Once they decided to go electric, the E-Ray name was trademarked in 2015.

When the E-Ray does start production, we were told that there will be a very slow and deliberate ramp up to ensure everything is as it should, and Tadge even acknowledged the looming possibility of a UAW strike. Like the Z06 rollout last fall, it will start slow and then build once they feel they are ready. The team compared this to the Z06, and they were happy to report building 1,000 Z06s per month. So don’t expect a flood of E-Rays to be built right from the get-go, but they will be coming.

Tadge also singled out Harlan Charles as the early driving force for the Corvette to go mid-engine as early as 2005, calling him fearless in his push with management and then chief engineer Dave Hill to study the benefits of moving the engine behind the driver. Pratt Miller was also called in to offer their skills in studying a Corvette platform and they were all in as the weight distribution of a mid-engine Corvette race car would put in more in line with the competition.

During the presentation, the team also confirmed that over 53,000 units were built or scheduled to be built during these final weeks, but we still don’t know the exact number of Corvettes produced for the 2023 model year.

Source:
Photo/video by Keith Cornett

Related:
[VIDEO] 2024 Corvette E-Ray with Harlan Charles Plus Q&A Session from Carlisle
2024 Corvette E-Ray Ordering is Delayed
2024 Corvette E-Ray to Start Production on Monday, October 23rd

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